Cheat Sheet
When you create a new item, fill in the required fields:
Name
Base Measurement
Category
Allergens
After the item is created, set up its units, conversions, and packaging on the Units tab, and add the vendor products you order it from.
Definitions
Items are the building blocks of Gaia. They represent food items you might physically find in a pantry and use as ingredients in a recipe. For example, an item could be raw flour or a frozen dinner roll. Items have a data model and audit trail that allows districts to see history and pull custom reports.
Item Details
User Assigned ID (shortcode): Specific code or ID used for internal reporting and tracking. Optional, in addition to the system-generated ID.
Name: The district's preferred format and convention for naming the item. Required.
Alias: An additional searchable name or short label for the item. Optional.
Base Measurement: The amount used for entering the initial nutrition information, typically the amount found on the item label or 100 grams. Required.
Manufacturer Details: Manufacturer name, parent brand, GTIN, UPC, and product code. Optional.
USDA CN Code: USDA Child Nutrition product code, when the item has one. Optional.
USDA Foods Material Code: Code for USDA Foods commodity items. Optional.
Category: Helps organize items into shopping list categories (e.g., Frozen, Dry Goods, Long Shelf Life). Required.
Allergens: Gaia is pre-loaded with the 9 main USDA allergens: Dairy, Tree Nut, Egg, Shellfish, Sesame, Soy, Wheat, Fish, and Peanut. You must choose an allergen, or select None or Unknown. Districts can show additional allergens by submitting a request. Required.
Special Diets: Gaia is pre-loaded with commonly tracked dietary requests such as Vegan, Vegetarian, Halal, and Kosher. Districts can add more options by submitting a request. Optional.
Attributes: Compliance data relevant for menu analysis such as Whole Grain Rich or fruit / vegetable juice. Optional.
Sample status: Items marked as samples will block publishing menus that include them. Use sample status while trying out something new before manufacturer and vendor details are finalized. See Sample Status on Items for details. Optional.
Shelf Life: Number of days the item is good for after it arrives, used to calculate inventory expiration dates. See Shelf Life and Expiration Tracking. Optional.
Notes: Free-text notes saved on the item. Optional.
Documents: Relevant attachments such as child nutrition labels, product spec sheets, formulation statements, and other compliance documents. Optional.
Nutrition
Meal Components: Categories like Grain, Meat, and various Vegetable subcategories (e.g., Red/Orange, Dark Green), Fruit, and Milk.
Nutritional Information: Details about calories and nutrient composition.
Ingredient Statement: Detailed list of ingredients for processed or assembled items.
Units, Conversions, and Packaging
Items have a separate set of fields for units, weight and volume conversions, custom units, and the packaging hierarchy. These are managed on the Units tab of the item page. See Item Units, Conversions, and Packaging for the full reference and setup steps.
Key Calculated Fields
System ID: Unique code generated by Gaia that cannot be changed.
Status:
Active: The item is in use. It appears in Pantry searches and can be added to recipes.
Archived: The item has been archived. It is hidden from the default Pantry view and cannot be added to new recipes. Existing recipes, production records, and orders that reference the item continue to show it. See Archiving and Restoring an Item.
Deleted: The item record has been removed from active use. Only Gaia support can restore a deleted item.
Average Price: The average price of the base measurement using the unit price of all active vendor products.
Inventory on hand: Tracks all transactions including received orders, submitted production records, discarded or damaged inventory, and any other manual or automated inventory transaction.
Related Objects
From the item page you can also view and manage related recipes, products, and inventory. Each is covered in its own article.
Recipes: List of every recipe or sub-recipe that uses this item as an ingredient, with a direct link to view the recipe details. Updates to the item automatically update related recipes and create a new version.
Products: List of the different purchasing options for this item, including vendors, package size, pricing, and active order guides.
Inventory: List of the amount on hand for each school in the user's purview. A director may see a summary across schools, while a single-site manager only sees their own school.
Adding, Editing, and Managing Items
New items can be added from the Pantry page or from the Quick Actions section in the navigation bar. Choose Add Item from the Child Nutrition Database or Gaia Catalog, or Create New Item if the item is not in either catalog.
From the item actions menu on the top right of the item page you can also:
Duplicate items: Copy some or all of the attributes such as nutrition facts, conversions, and attachments to a new item.
Archive items: Inactivate an item without removing it from Gaia. See Archiving and Restoring an Item.
Delete items: Completely remove all records and history of the item from Gaia.